» Armstrong organised a team bonding party attended by strippers: Landis

Armstrong organised a team bonding party attended by strippers: Landis

Published: Sunday, July 4, 2010, 16:23 [IST]

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Sydney, Jul 2 (ANI): The three-week Tour de France race was rocked with more controversy involving seven-time champion Lance Armstrong, with claims of personal nature being made against him by former teammate Floyd Landis.

Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour title for failing a dope test and who recently admitted lying about drug use while accusing Armstrong and a number of other cyclists of cheating, told the Wall Street Journal that Armstrong organised a team bonding party attended by strippers at which cocaine was used.

Armstrong's lawyer in a statement has denied these new claims, and Armstrong himself has recently said that Landis is a habitual liar who had no credibility.

The newspaper article elaborates on alleged doping practices by Armstrong, his teammates and their coterie of trainers and medical staff - from alleged blood doping to the sale of brand new bikes for cash to fund the doping system that Landis claims was in place at their team that was then sponsored by US Postal Services.

It also describes a night out with the Tour champion and a number of riders in 2001 when Landis was in Armstrong's hometown of Austin, Texas during a training camp after he had been offered a contract to race for Armstrong's team, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

According to Landis, the evening began when Armstrong drove several riders into downtown Austin. Through Landis' observations, the article reports that Armstrong sped while driving and said he paid little attention to stop signs.

The article then describes how the group attended the Yellow Rose nightclub in north Austin. The club was a venue that, according to its manager, Don King, has been a popular haunt for Armstrong and a number of cyclists for about 10 years.

Landis, who publicly made doping allegations against Armstrong during the Tour of California, said he was surprised by the party, but not offended.

Armstrong denied Landis' accusation when they first came out in May. "I have nothing to hide," Armstrong said. I think history speaks for itself here. Floyd lost his credibility a long time ago. We have a person who has been under oath several times with a completely different version, written a book with a completely different version, someone that took money." (ANI)